-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- From the sweeping coastlines of Kalamata to the sun-scorched island of Crete , Greece 's olive groves have been thriving in the Mediterranean heat for thousands of years .

The tiny green fruits are harvested before autumn sets in , and cold pressed to deliver extra virgin olive oil , regarded as an elixir of life . The Greeks believe this oil is the world 's best .

But the world , Greek brothers Thomas and George Douzis realized , did not .

So , in 2007 , the Douzis brothers developed a plan to take Greek produce to the global stage . It was an idea that would also , inadvertently , make the Douzis brothers early examples of the country 's grass-roots survival strategy .

The Douzis , now aged 27 and 30 , grew up in coastal town of Thessaloniki , where their grandfather Thomas owned a grocery store , selling everyday products such as olive oil or honey to locals .

Their father , Thodoris , was also in the food business , working for Kellogg 's before setting up his own food distribution company .

The brothers were raised on Greek delicacies , but as they grew older they realized the food they loved had a global image problem .

Take Greek olive oil 's reputation around the world . According to market research , shoppers preferred Italian and Spanish oils , despite 80 % of Greek olive oil being extra virgin , compared to 45 % in Italy .

The Douzis had found their mission .

`` The perception abroad is that Greek oil is the cheap one . Bottom of the shelves , '' Thomas Douzis says .

As a marketing graduate , he had a plan to change that image -- and a lot more . The brothers would find the best independent producers in the country and take their products global , with a guarantee of quality . Greek olive oil , honey and other delicacies were in their sights .

The brothers chose the brand Ergon -- the Greek word for project -- and set out to find the country 's best produce .

In the tiny Kolymvary region of Western Crete , they found the olive oil they wanted to promote . It came from olives whose history on the island dated back to the Venetian occupation , 800 years ago .

The caliber was so high the area had been granted special status from the European Union . Pressed in low temperatures and strictly by mechanical means , the region 's oil was among the purest in the world . It got the Ergon approval .

The brothers were also spending hours in labs testing Greek 's best honey for purity and sugar content -- choosing a blend which they called `` Bee 's project '' to finally launch Ergon .

The brand was in the market . But it was headed straight into an economic storm .

Ergon launches , Greece stumbles

As the Douzis brothers developed their business plans , the country 's finances were beginning to unravel . Greece had hosted the Summer Olympics in 2004 which had left the country on a high -- but blown its budget .

By 2008 , Greece was in recession . By 2010 , it had taken its first bailout from the European Union and International Monetary Fund , and was forced to introduce austerity measures . It slashed through people 's pensions , incomes and jobs , and fed soaring unemployment .

But by 2010 , Ergon was an established brand , selling five lines of traditional products including spreads , canned fish , beans , mushrooms and wild truffles . The crisis , for the Douzis , fed a `` nothing to lose '' attitude that ultimately boosted their success .

As Greece recovers from its financial meltdown , other young entrepreneurs have emerged as flag-bearers for a new audacity and style . And many are doing so as expats , after being forced out of the country by the crisis .

Greek diaspora lift those left behind

In London , Reload Greece is typical of this change . Set up in 2012 to create a hub for Greek entrepreneurs , it promotes the idea expats can help their troubled homeland from afar .

It reflects the exodus of Greek youth who went searching for better career prospects , and have since proved a surprising force for the country 's recovery .

Reload 's general manager , Markos Kiosseoglou , left Greece for an education in England and the U.S. , working in start-ups and multinationals . Like many of his compatriots , his Greek bloodlines run strong and he set up Reload , in his words , to `` let people do whatever they do , and find ways to connect them to Greece and help Greek communities . ''

Thomas Douzis is one of Reload 's supporters . He has assisted with events and mentored potential `` reloaders '' about his own experiences of doing business with small-scale Greek operators .

`` Greece used to be a country with lots of entertainment , tourist sector , big summers ... now it is much more stressed environment , '' Douzis says . `` This generates more passion to perform . ''

Manos Sifakis is another example of the Greek renaissance . He started his multimedia marketing company Customedialabs as a part-time , one-man operation during compulsory Greek army service in 2000 .

Working for clients based around the world , Sifakis had a network of customers by the time he finished his service , and started working full-time .

Since then , it has become an international agency with offices on two continents and high-profile clients including Johnson & Johnson , ING and Exxon Mobile .

Sifakis is now based in Philadelphia , after following his American wife Maria to the U.S. . He runs the agency from Pennsylvania , although most of his 60 employees in the Greek city of Larissa , where he is originally from .

`` Truthfully , if I did n't have Greece , I would n't be in business , '' Sifakis says . And it 's not cost which keeps him tapping his homeland . `` There are many places around the world with talented workforce that would be more cost-effective .

`` The number one advantage is the loyalty . My most loyal talent is in Greece . I have people there who have been working for me for many years . ''

He hopes to hire as many young Greeks as possible . `` Greece can be successful if you find people who can inspire and lead the change , '' Sifakis says .

` Winners in a crisis '

The Douzis are of this ilk . Ergon , born as Greece 's economy collapsed , now has a network of 150 producers who support seven stores and delis in Greece , one in London and another being prepped for Brussels .

The brothers ' ambitions reach beyond Europe -- by 2017 , they want to be in the U.S. , where demand for fresh Greek products has grown rapidly since Americans discovered , and fell in love with , the country 's traditional thick yoghurt .

According to Thomas Douzis , looking back at Ergon 's beginnings , `` we started in a very , very bad situation and proved that we can be winners in crisis . ''

Douzis recalls trying to convince the producers to join Ergon when it was in its infancy . `` Greece was wealthy back then , so we had to convince them that these two young brothers from Thessaloniki can do that job , that we can help them sell their products , '' he says .

Back then , many producers did n't have barcodes or an English language list of their ingredients . Now , thanks to Ergon and despite the country 's devastating crisis , their products are being enjoyed at a trendy restaurant just off Oxford Street , the main shopping hub in the heart of London .

There , in Ergon 's flagship London restaurant , Greece 's traditional salad is created out of coarsely cut tomatoes , chunks of colorful peppers , a samphire garnish and feta cheese cream .

But the key ingredient is the basil-infused olive oil that pulls the disparate flavors together . It is the oil made by small-scale farmers , under the sun of the Kolymvary region , in Western Crete .

Read more : Voices from Greece : Europe may be recovering , but crisis not over for us

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Greek brothers Thomas and George Douzis started a business at the height of the financial crisis

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The lack of employment opportunities has sparked a wave of new Greek entrepreneurs

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Thomas Douzis says the economic downturn forced the nation to change its mentality